Art of coloring rattan



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Patented Sept. 29, 1931' UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE ROBERT W. SPOFFORD, OF NEW YORK, N."Y.

ART or COLORING RATTAN. 1

N0 Drawing.

sold in commerce under the name of bejuco.

The frame work of the article to be produced, usually some piece of furniture, is shaped as desired using the pliable rattan core from which the bejuco has been removed. If, for example, a chair is being constructed, the frame of the chair is made from the core and the bejuco is woven around this frame to form the seat, back, etc.

Applicants problem was to find some way of coloring the rattan with a permanent coloring matter. The extremely hard enamel surface of the rattan would not hold paint or stain, as heretofore applied, neither of which would permeate the surface sufiiciently to be permanently retained thereon. When the furniture article was stained or painted, the color was easily removed by'ordinary use of the article and in a short time became defaced, with the result that manufacturers of rattan articles have ordinarily refrained from attempting to color artificially the manufactured article.

Manufacturers of rattan articles for a long time have attempted to treat the wood so as to render it permeable to paint or dye but no solvent has been found which would remove or soften its hard outer coating.

I have found that if the rattan, while in its commercial form, was immersed in a hot aniline dye bath and allowed to remain there for four hours to four days depending on the species, the hot bath would sufliciently soften the outer surface to allow the dye to penetrate it and remain'permanently on the rattan. Furthermore, I discovered that due to the variable hardness of the outside enamellike surface of the rattan, I obtained an un- Application filed September 11, 1928. Serial No. 305,327.

even penetration of the dye which resulted in each'strip of the rattan having variegated hues and when these strips are woven -together, the result was a beautiful blending of colors that'could not be obtained in any other known way. The colors, moreover, would penetrate the enamel surface of the rattan sufliciently to resist the usual wear and the color ofthe furniture article would be preserved.

Many desired colored aniline dyes might be used and the effects obtained Varied as desired. The variable hardness of the different parts of the rattan would cause variations in the finished color since more of the dye would sink in in some places than in others thus forming a most pleasing combination of colors when the rattan was worked up into the furniture articlethe colors of the rattan being different shades of the same foundation colored dye.

Articles of furniture made from rattan colored by my improved process, present a most pleasing appearance and the dye, having penetrated the enamel coating of the rattan, is permanent and will not wear off or fades as the stains and paints heretofore applied torattan articles in the ordinary way have done.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to treat the crude material of certain fibres such as jute, with various materials to color the fibres before weaving them intov the finished article, but as far as I know, I p

am the first to discover that by immersing rattan in a hot bath having aniline dye therein, the dye would penetrate the enamel surface of the rattan to different depths and thus produce the variegated colors which would permanently resist the usual wear on the finished articles made from the materials so treated.

What I claim as new is:

1. The process of producing variegated permanent fast colors on rattan which c011- sists in immersing the rattan in a hot bath of water with an aniline dye therein and allowing the same to remain in the dye until it has penetrated sufficiently to deposit the dye below and upon the surface of the outer portion of the rattan to produce variegated colors in accordance With the texture of the Wood being dyed.

2. The process of producing variegated l permanent fast colors on rattan which consists in immersing the rattan in a hot bath of Water With an aniline dye therein and a1- loWing the same to remain in the dye for a period of time exceeding four hours until 1 it has penetrated sufficiently to deposit the dye below and upon the outer portion of the rattan to produce variegated colors in accordance With the texture of the ivood being dyed.

3. As an article of manufacture, rattan strips colored variably With an aniline dye which has penetrated through the hard enamel surface of the rattan strips.

4. As an article of manufacture, rattan strips colored in various shades of the same primary color of an aniline dye which has penetrated through the enamel surface of the rattan strips and extended therein different distances and deposited therein different amounts of coloring matter to produce variegated shades of the same primary color on the strips.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

ROBERT W. SPOFFORD 

